Maricopa County Assessor indicted on 32 Felony counts involving human smuggling and sale of children

October 9, 2019

Mesa, AZ – Paul Peterson and Lynwood Jennet have been arrested in connection with over 29 adoptions that took place through Assessor Peterson’s Adoption Law Office in Mesa, Arizona. Lynwood, a Marshall Island native is being accused of facilitating the trafficking of young women to Arizona in hopes to impregnate and eventually sell the women’s newborns. The adoptions averaged $35,000 per child and crossed state lines to Utah and Arkansas. This triggered Homeland Security and other State Attorney Generals to take part in the investigation. Here are the current released points of investigation:

Currently charged people -Paul Peterson, Lynwood Jennet

32 Felony Counts

Federal Charges

State Attorney Generals involved -Utah, Arkansas

Multi-State investigation by DPS, Homeland Security

29 adoptions dating from 11/2015 through 5/2019

The women were not residents of Arizona.

False documentation to place women into (AHCCCS) State funded healthcare to in the amount in excess of $800k

Sam Hunt, State Trooper in Arizona uncovered the scheme after a colleague attempted to research an adoption with the Peterson office in 2018. Once the colleague found the cost and policies inconsistent with other adoption agency notified officer Hunt.

Very Important: Families that adopted the children are not part of the investigation.

The women were flow from Marshall Islands to Arizona

Where at the Marshall Islands? The Marshall Islands are a sprawling chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in the central Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and the Philippines

It appears from their website that they had plans to expand the operation by adding a physical office in Utah- Screen shot below